Several years ago, Nina Siegal read through Publisher's Weekly bestseller list from 1900:
The bestseller in fiction took a precipitous turn in the 1980s towards what might be termed the “throwaway read,” a novel with a shelf life of yogurt. Interestingly, that doesn’t seem to be quite as true with nonfiction bestsellers. America’s nonfiction bestseller lists still have some pretty hefty titles.
Scott Esposito adds his two cents.